Overview & Reviews

Chevrolet sells an impressively wide range of vehicles, from subcompact hatchbacks to huge vans and SUVs. If you're looking for a reasonably priced vehicle, odds are that Chevy will have something to fit your needs.

Chevrolet got its start in 1911. After William C. Durant had been ousted from General Motors, he joined forces with Swiss-born racecar driver Louis Chevrolet to found the Chevrolet Motor Car Company. The company's first offering was the Classic Six. Introduced in 1912, this five-passenger touring sedan could top 65 mph, fast for the time. Chevrolet's storied bowtie logo -- reportedly inspired by the wallpaper of a Paris hotel room that Durant stayed at -- made its first appearance in 1914.

By 1918, Chevrolet's profitability allowed Durant to purchase enough shares in GM to regain control. Chevrolet became another division of GM, and was its largest volume division by the mid-1920s. By 1927, Chevrolet outsold rival Ford, with sales in excess of 1 million units.

In the mid-1930s Chevrolet introduced independent front suspension, which provided a smoother ride over the rough roads of the day. The 1940s saw continued success with affordable coupes, sedans and pickup trucks catering to American families, farmers and businessmen.

By the mid-1950s, Chevrolet, GM's entry-level division, had added a V8 engine, power steering and brakes, power windows and air-conditioning to its list of available features, allowing luxury for those on a tighter budget. Around this time the iconic Bel Air model -- available in coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon body styles -- proved very popular. The company introduced its alluring Corvette in 1953; the vehicle was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body.

The 1960s saw the unveiling of the popular, air-cooled Corvair compact, which held the distinction of being the first domestic production car with all-around independent suspension. That decade also witnessed the launch of the compact Nova, the midsize Chevelle and the sporty Camaro, the latter Chevrolet's answer to the wildly successful Ford Mustang. The Camaro proved an instant hit, comprising 10 percent of Chevrolet's total sales in 1967, its first year of production.

In the 1970s, Chevy responded to changing preferences by introducing small cars like the Vega and the Chevette, and by downsizing larger models such as the Caprice and Malibu. The company combated the market domination of foreign nameplates in the 1980s by rolling out the Cavalier. By the end of that decade, trucks and SUVs had started to become increasingly popular with the general consumer, and the brand's mid- and full-size models continue to this day to be some of the most popular on the road.

The '90s and the early 2000s saw the company raising the performance bar with its Corvette (notably the Z06 and, later, ZR1 variants) and reincarnated Impala SS. Chevrolet's Silverado pickup truck and Tahoe/Suburban SUVs continued to be hits as well. By 2010, the Camaro had returned to the lineup after a seven-year hiatus.

Modern times have seen Chevrolet make significant improvements in its small and midsize car models and introduce the Volt plug-in hybrid. The latter provides a nearly 40-mile range on electric power alone, and adds to the company's already well-rounded lineup of cars, trucks and SUVs. Though today's marketplace is very demanding, Chevrolet seems poised to remain a power player through its affordable and innovative vehicles.

User Reviews:

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  Very happy driver! - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By PetzMetz - April 10 - 10:00 am

  Love that car-test drove it right off the dealers lot about a month and a half ago. Space, space and space everywhere.

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  Good Buy - 2005 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Andymanga - April 10 - 10:00 am

  I bought my nox a week ago and am loving it. It rides good and looks good. The V-6 seems peppier than the same engine when it was in my camaro (of course it did have 200k miles on it...) and a SUV that gets mid 20s mpg is a plus.

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  2004 Z71 - 2004 Chevrolet Suburban
  By T.S. - April 10 - 9:51 am

  The vehicle has performed great. My only issue is the lack of E85 fueling stations. I get 13 mpg around town and about 20 on the highway. Before I decided to get the Z71, we test drove the LS and LT. I have to say that the Z71 was a much better ride. They were all better than the Ford Expedition I had and alot more refined.

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  Excellent vehicle for getting the girls - 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By Red Cobalt LS ohya - April 9 - 5:33 pm

  Its certainly not a Cavalier! This car is great, handles like a dream, and kept me out of quite a few accidents while driving too fast for conditions. Would definitely recommend buying one.

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  20,000 Miles Of SS - 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt
  By ADK_Samurai - April 9 - 2:56 pm

  I traded my 2005 Cobalt base coupe for the SS hoping for excellent performance... it delivered. This car is absolutely a blast to drive. In fact, Ive had the car since September and have put 20,000 miles on it because of the fun-to-drive factor. My only complaint about the interior is lack of an armrest. Other than that, kudos. This brings the fun back to GM. I would definitely recommend or buy another Cobalt/Cobalt SS! For the money, the car delivers so much more than most of the premium imports that I drove before purchasing my car.

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  No More Bowties For Me - 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Ed - April 9 - 7:24 am

  2017 Midnight Z71. Like the truck, hate the Chevy Dealer who sold it. Brand new, trans surges & downshifts too hard. Dealer lied & said Chevy didnt know anything about it. Nothing they could do. Different Chevy dealer knew all about it, had a TSB on it already. 6 speed trans problems. Tried to tow my Vette & felt like the trans was coming thru the floor. Beware. Lifetime bowtie guy, next truck will be an F-150.

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  This SUV is full of trouble, potentially deadly - 2011 Chevrolet Equinox
  By Wasim Quddus - April 8 - 10:36 pm

  We got brand new chevy euinox in 2011. I had to take it to dealer twice with engine trouble. My wife drives it -very mildly. It has very low millage. She had it stall in the middle of the road two times. It would just loose power suddenly. She would start it and it would run a little before stalling again. Finally it would not even start. The enigne light would come on. This happened twice. Thankfully she was not in highway when this happened. She also had kids with her. Imagine if this happened in high way at high speed. By Gods grace, she and the kids have been spared from horrific accident due to this failure. The car dealership was another unfriendly experience. I took it to the same dealer who I bought the car from. They are so nonchalant about the whole event, as if it is the most expected thing on earth to happen. They were very late diagnosing the problem, leaving us without a car when my wife needed the car for going to work (dont know if that is a bad thing or not, given the nature of its serious trouble). All in all, it has been a very bad experience. I will not look forward to buying another chevy any time soon.

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  Good Solid Drive - 2003 Chevrolet Malibu
  By Essexnj - April 8 - 3:15 pm

  This has been a very solid and reliable car--my experience matches the high JD Power and strong CR ratings for this model year. Lots of interior room and luggage capacity. Fule mileage has been good, with over 30 mpg on highways with cruise control. Strong pickup, decent handling. Brake rotors were turned at around 25,000 miles, which seems normal to me for mostly local stop and go driving. Seating could be better for me on long drives (Im 63" with long legs). All in all, I was pleased enough to get a used model for my college son. Its a good deal for those who keep their cars for a while.

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  MY Z06 - 2001 Chevrolet Corvette
  By dcd58 - April 8 - 1:03 pm

  This car is fantastic! Minor problem with leaking windshield when purchased, now fixed. What a car to drive. Worked on engine, now puts out 427hp with 362 coming out rear! Love this car

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  Love my Chevy - 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  By Rodney - April 8 - 12:53 pm

  Comfortable, dependable , and makes me proud I can buy American. It has given me better service than the last two imports that I owned. It tows great too.